1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a flexible coupling for use with the suction inlet port of the sludge receiver box of a vacuum catch basin cleaner and the proximal end portion of a suction hose assembly so that the distal end of the rigid suction duct component of the suction hose assembly can be moved and positioned easily for operative introduction into a catch basin to clean same and remove therefrom dirt, sand, sludge, leaves and other accumulated debris.
2. Background Art
The prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,352,038 discloses resilient tubular bodies; U.S. Pat. No. 2,770,259 discloses an expansion joint and apparatus for and method of making same; U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,660 discloses an internally reinforced bellows-type expansion joint unit; U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,804 discloses a reinforced expansion joint; U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,039 discloses fluid line sound-absorbing structures; U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,014 discloses pipe couplings; U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,828 discloses flexible couplings for providing fluid; U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,776 discloses a deformable pipe connector; U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,296 discloses expansion joints for rigid metallic pipes; U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,585 discloses a flexible pipe coupling; U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,573 discloses an elastic pipe connector; U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,949 discloses an elastic pipe-connecting component for pipes or pipelines, or the like; U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,180 discloses a flexible pipe joint; U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,944 discloses an expansion joint; U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,938 discloses pipe couplings; U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,078 discloses a flexible joint protector; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,152 discloses a flexible pipe-connecting fitting.
The problem in the art to which this invention apertains is the need for a flexible coupling that can be interposed between and operatively connected to the proximal end portion of a suction hose assembly and the suction inlet port of the sludge receiver box of a vacuum catch basin cleaner so that the distal end of the rigid suction duct component of the suction line assembly can be moved and positioned easily for operative introduction into a catch basin to clean same and to remove therefrom dirt, sand, sludge, leaves and other accumulated debris.
To easily move and position the distal end of such rigid suction duct component, the proximal end portion of the flexible hose component of the suction line assembly--relative to the suction inlet port by means of such flexible coupling that joins the two together--must be capable of 360.degree. rotation or swivel, must be capable of being aligned, misaligned or offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the suction inlet port and the proximal end portion of such flexible hose component, must be capable of being articulated or disposed at different angles to each other, and the flexible coupling, per se, must create a self-cleaning vortex as a result of air turbulence so that the flexible coupling will not clog up and thereby malfunction from dirt, sand, sludge, leaves or other debris flowing therethrough, and the flexible coupling should function as a vibration dampener between the sludge receiver box and the suction hose assembly.
This invention contributes to the solution of the problems of the art by providing a flexible coupling that can be interposed in operative interconnected relationship between the proximal end portion of the suction inlet port of the sludge receiver box of the vacuum catch basin cleaner and the suction hose assembly. The flexible coupling: permits of 360.degree. relative rotation between the suction inlet port and the proximal end portion of the suction hose assembly; permits alignment, misalignment and offset disposition relative to the longitudinal axes of the suction inlet port and the proximal end portion of the suction hose assembly; permits relative disposition at different angles to each other of the suction inlet port and the proximal end portion of the suction hose assembly; creates a self-cleaing vortex as a reslt of air turbulence in the annular flexible member component of such flexible coupling so that such flexible coupling will not clog up from any dirt, sand, sludge, leaves or other debris flowing through such flexible coupling and which is disposed and deposited laterally into such annular flexible member component as a result of centrifugal force; and functions as a vibration dampener between the sludge receiver box and the suction hose assembly.